Having lived most of my life in New York, there have been many trips through different regions of the state. Some of these jaunts appear in other posts. Here are some others.
Catskills Getaway
March 2012
Marjorie spotted a “Living Social”
on-line voucher for an overnight at a B&B in the Catskills, Margaretville
Mountain Inn. Seemed like a good
opportunity for a winter getaway, tho w/ our dawdling it comes as winter is
ending (both calendar & climate).
But it comes at a good time for some R&R: I’ve been struggling with
disc problems and pinched nerve in my neck, Marjorie has had several recent
back-and-forths to Queens for grandsons care.
And altho this outing is not as involved or eventful as our usual
travels, it was an enjoyable mini-trip that seems worthy of a mini-journal.
After my Monday classes at UAlbany end
(3/19), I head home and we’re on the road by 3:30 for the 110-mile trip. It’s a beautiful Spring day; actually more
like summer, sunny and mid-70s, several recent record high temps. [Side note: Cherry blossoms in full bloom in
DC well ahead of schedule, worries here that the same will affect Albany’s
Tulip Festival in May. But Saturday was
gorgeous for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.]
Heading south on the Thruway we see buds appearing on trees, a few
daffodils and the like. Off the Thruway and
west into the Catskills, clouds build up w/ rain the rest of our drive (but
doesn’t dampen our spirits). Past Big
Indian resort area and the Frost Valley Y Camp where we used to chaperone for
Youth Orchestra retreats. Thru the
village of Margaretville [Side note: We later learn friend Jill was born in the
Margaretville Hospital.], up a steep hill to the Inn.
The Inn is owned and operated over 20
years by a friendly woman and her husband who live here w/ 2 of their 3
daughters; this is one of several properties, including a motel in the
village. Otherwise we have the place to
ourselves; well, there’s Bear, a large friendly white dog. 
A large Queen Anne style house, 8 rooms for lodging, furnished thruout with lovely antiques. The house is perched high w/ view of mountains from a large porch w/ wicker furniture. We relax a bit w/ complimentary muffins and bottle of wine in our room. [Side note: Art Garfunkel once stayed in the room next to ours.] Into the village to one of the few places open for dinner. It’s decorated in “tavern memorabilia” mode, from cheery Easter decorations to a box of “Flutie Flakes” (named after ex-football player) above the fireplace.
A very dark, foggy night, giving the lights around the Inn and gnarled trees a ghostly “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” look. More relaxation & a quiet night for sleeping. I manage pretty well, up once to put cold compresses on my neck & shoulder, Marjorie’s sleep seems not to be too disturbed.
I’m awake again a little after 6:00. It’s the first day of Spring! Still very foggy, I wander out for
atmospheric photo ops: the Inn, barn, large dog house enveloped in fog and
framed by more gnarled trees, dew glistening off spider webs, etc.
The sun starts breaking thru, glistening off the
Inn windows in the distance. A beautiful
scene. I return to find Marjorie waking
up. Down to the pretty dining room, the
big table set up just for us! As
advertised, a wonderful gourmet breakfast of yummy scones & French toast w/
bacon, the latter a treat for us.
The sun starts breaking thru, glistening off the
Inn windows in the distance. A beautiful
scene. I return to find Marjorie waking
up. Down to the pretty dining room, the
big table set up just for us! As
advertised, a wonderful gourmet breakfast of yummy scones & French toast w/
bacon, the latter a treat for us. 
It’s now (and will remain) a beautiful
sunny day, again mid-70s. No particular
plans for today. There are a few museums
and other attractions in the area, but nothing much seems to be open; oh well,
did I mention we’re just looking to relax?
More disappointing, we’re unable to connect with friend Mary to visit w/
her in Kingston. So instead we work our
way over to Woodstock, a pretty drive, babbling brooks along the road, mountain
views.
Woodstock was not the actual site
of the “Peace, Love, and Music” festival in 1969, but appears nonetheless to be
locked into a time capsule: many items of memorabilia and Woodstock-themed
trinkets, some folks on the street who look like they’ve never left since then,
store signs stating “Hippies Welcome Here.”
One is tempted to say: Get over it!
But there’s a certain countercultural quaintness to it all. 
A walk around a pretty lake at Lippman Park in Wawarsing. A flock of geese comes in for a landing, a bit aggressive as we walk by. Thru Kerhonkson, cited by the NY Times as part of the “once-sleepy Catskills” turning into the Hamptons. By Damn Good Honey Farm on rustic roads, unpaved Chipmunk Hollow Rd. to Bradford Graves Sculpture Park, a quirky showcase of 200+ works mostly in stone. An intriguing room with colorful costumes, old records, desk & bed.
To Kelder’s Farm with
playgrounds, mini-golf, corn maze, petting zoo, farm market, seasonal U-pick
options (veggies, apples, blueberries & other berries, etc.). A highlight:
towering “Gnome on the Grange” aka “Gnome Chomsky” on the hill facing the
highway once held a Guinness World Record as tallest concrete gnome (now 3rd). 
A drive thru Stone Ridge and its Main Street Historic District is more successful. Many 18th & early 19th C houses; most noteworthy: Hasbrouck House, Dutch Colonial stone mansion now “boutique hotel” & wedding venue. Many other houses of various styles and embellishments. Impressive Dutch Reformed Church apparently hasn’t hosted services for a while judging by the front sign: “He is Risen.”
including cat sculptures
A short fall outing to Kaaterskill Falls.
New York Botanical Garden
Fall 2013
The New York Botanical Garden in the
Bronx is one of Marjorie’s favorite places. We’ve been here a number of times,
in particular the spectacular Spring Orchid Festival. Now we’re down for “Kiku: 
The Art of the Japanese Garden,” focused on the chrysanthemum, kiku in Japanese, “the most celebrated
of Japanese fall-flowering plants,” w/ “hundreds of meticulously trained kiku” on display in the Conservatory. Joined
by friend (and M’s artistic mentor) Betty. A beautiful fall day, colors at
their peak, tho less so as we travel south. M & B chat about artistic stuff
in the back seat (R feels like he’s “driving Miss Daisy”). Heavy traffic over
the Tappan Zee Bridge, but parked and into the gardens before noon.
An
incredible diversity of mums: varieties, colors, sizes, and trained into many
different shapes ̶ trees, bridges, domes, etc.; it’s a bigger
show than what Marjorie saw a few years ago. What does “training” mean?: a
single plant (ozukuri, or “thousand
bloom” kiku) is made to produce 100s
of flowers, wire frameworks then support them in sculptured forms. One dome has
436 flowers growing out of 1 stem! Another plant is combined with a large bonsai. 
Outside next to a beautiful lily
pond are “Four Seasons” sculptures: human heads composed of flowers, veggies, and
other plants to represent each season. We saw models of these at the spring orchid
show; now they are full-sized (6-10’ tall) and quite remarkable, reminding us
of Rose Parade floats we saw close up some years ago in Pasadena. Strolling
along pathways to the Café for a snack, “Queen B” proclaims this a “Dilly-Dally
Day;” a nearby staffperson approves this unhurried attitude. Artists M & B
admire the Victorian glass-and-steel Conservatory, but agree trying to draw so
many windows & frames would be “a pane” (groan!). After some sustenance a
pretty and informative tram tour around the extensive grounds. 
Then into the
Haunted Pumpkin Garden w/in the Children’s Garden ̶
caterpillars, spiders, and other creepy-crawly & flying creatures
made of pumpkins, amid pretty flowers. Finally, we must depart. Some slow going
across the Tappan Zee again, but we’ve beaten most of the Friday traffic out of
town. Dinner at our favorite New Paltz diner. A beautiful full moon rises over
the Thruway to top off a perfect day!
Canajoharie
May 2015
Then Thursday we went with neighbors Peggy & John to Arlo Guthrie’s 50th Anniversary of “Alice’s Restaurant” ̶ ♫You can get anything you want . . . ♫. Can it really be 50 years? I guess so, judging by all the white hair, on stage and in the audience. The concert was being recorded by WMHT to be shown on Thanksgiving (of course!), so we got to see camera setups and some do-overs (including when Arlo actually forgot something halfway into “Alice”). Great fun, wonderful memories. I recall cousins Marcia & Bob giving us this record at Christmas, all of us laughing hysterically seated around the Bonnie Brae living room.
Saturday rolls around: a gorgeous day,
beautiful blue cloudless sky from horizon to horizon (tho part of a string of
chilly weather we’ve been having). About an hour along the Mohawk River to
Canajoharie. We’ve passed here many times, noting the large Beech-Nut plant and
canal locks. This time we exit and begin by looking for Canajoharie Gorge and
Falls, but our GPS “Penelope” seems to be leading us in circles. So breakfast
seems a good option. Into a little restaurant in the center of town, filled w/
locals so it must be good. And friendly townspeople rally around to give
directions to Wintergreen Park w/ falls and gorge.
We’re able to find it w/o
any difficulty, tho we wonder if they’re leading us into some backwoods
ambush ̶
Canajoharie Chainsaw Massacre? But the only other people around are a
friendly foursome of young folks. And the setting is lovely; M: “it’s not
‘falls’ advertising” (groan!). We go down by the Creek, then a mile hike thru
beautiful trees to an overlook above the gorge. Coming out there’s interesting graffiti
at the trailhead: mascot & animal drawings, “Heather & Mike 7/29/08”
(are they still together?).
We’re able to find it w/o
any difficulty, tho we wonder if they’re leading us into some backwoods
ambush ̶
Canajoharie Chainsaw Massacre? But the only other people around are a
friendly foursome of young folks. And the setting is lovely; M: “it’s not
‘falls’ advertising” (groan!). We go down by the Creek, then a mile hike thru
beautiful trees to an overlook above the gorge. Coming out there’s interesting graffiti
at the trailhead: mascot & animal drawings, “Heather & Mike 7/29/08”
(are they still together?).
Back into town to the Arkell Art
Museum. This is much more than expected. Some quite famous works even I
recognize (e.g., by Remington, Winslow Homer), a gallery of self-portraits (and
non-self as well), another gallery of drawings of animals, from pets to zoo
animals, using a variety of media, and other lovely galleries.
The building
also houses the pretty Canajoharie Library; we take some photos to send to our
Vancouver Library friend. An interesting exhibit about Beech-Nut. [The museum
is next to the plant, in the midst of “deconstruction” after sale to a
developer; we’ve seen news reports that they’re having trouble getting him to
finish the job. The plant had been here nearly 120 years, accounted for ½ of
village revenues.] Arkell was the 1st President of B-N, emphasized a
“clean and cultured workplace” w/ artwork exhibited around the plant and used
in marketing. And we learn that B-N was much more than baby food; it actually
started as a packing company for ham & bacon.
The building
also houses the pretty Canajoharie Library; we take some photos to send to our
Vancouver Library friend. An interesting exhibit about Beech-Nut. [The museum
is next to the plant, in the midst of “deconstruction” after sale to a
developer; we’ve seen news reports that they’re having trouble getting him to
finish the job. The plant had been here nearly 120 years, accounted for ½ of
village revenues.] Arkell was the 1st President of B-N, emphasized a
“clean and cultured workplace” w/ artwork exhibited around the plant and used
in marketing. And we learn that B-N was much more than baby food; it actually
started as a packing company for ham & bacon. 
We drive south thru pretty rolling
farm country w/ panoramic views. A stop at a large garden & farm market.
Greenhouses full of beautiful flowers from top to bottom and front to back.
It’s a bonanza of photo ops (for me) and plants to replenish our garden (for
Marjorie); M: “This is fun! I’m a happy gardener.” [Her Arlo anthem: ♫Inch by
inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow♫]
We fill the trunk w/ plants and
head into Sharon Springs to discover this weekend is their “Garden Party,”
festival booths spread along the main road. After some browsing we take Rt. 20
(aka “Cherry Valley Turnpike”) back east. The day is capped off by a lovely
cookout gathering of sociological friends at Kathy & Scott’s, plus their
son Sam, Steve & Jill, Joanne, Zoya & her son, and Jim.
We fill the trunk w/ plants and
head into Sharon Springs to discover this weekend is their “Garden Party,”
festival booths spread along the main road. After some browsing we take Rt. 20
(aka “Cherry Valley Turnpike”) back east. The day is capped off by a lovely
cookout gathering of sociological friends at Kathy & Scott’s, plus their
son Sam, Steve & Jill, Joanne, Zoya & her son, and Jim.
More New York
The Adirondacks:
1975
is our 1st summer in Albany, and Uncle Bill’s 1st visit
to start his regular traveling w/ us. A very
hot summer during Marjorie’s pregnancy!
We first visited Mystic Seaport (and was it ever hot & humid!). 
Then headed to a cottage on Little Wolf Lake near Tupper Lake.
I had spent time as a child at a nearby Boy
Scouts camp. We have a little dock w/
rowboat – one early AM Marjorie joins me (amid many mosquitoes ̶
she’s such a trooper!) as I take closeup photos of a memorable dewy log
w/ interesting little plants and glistening spiderwebs, 
along with other views. 
There’s a spectacular sunset/sunrise combo, due
I think to volcanic eruptions somewhere, 
and other pretty sun views.
A nice trek thru rugged High Falls Gorge.
Then a drive (plus hike) to the top of Whiteface
Mt, panoramic views all around. 
A
chairlift and hike up Big Tupper on what’s labeled a “gentle ¼-mile climb” ̶ but
it’s quite steep, and pregnant Marjorie will never let us forget what we put
her thru! But there are fabulous panoramic
views at the top. 
More nice views along the road, and a stop at a fish hatchery.
A very early AM drive to L George to get a bus to L Placid. It’s a nice day, very warm (up to about 50º!), earlier transport snarls mostly solved by now. Our AM event is women’s speedskating.
Then rides on the bus to
see other venues, including the Olympic flame & ski jumps. 
A nice break at a coffee house in the
basement of a Methodist church. 
Awards
ceremony in the evening on the (frozen) lake. 
We revisit Lake Placid and Olympic sites for a Winter Carnival in 1982. Up close and personal at the bobsled run.
A
weekend getaway to pretty Saranac Lake in 1984 at the classic Hotel Saranac, run by
Paul Smith’s College to train their culinary and hotel students. Everybody tries so hard to be hospitable, and
wonderful food! 
A visit to Topridge, one
of the “great camps” (Marjorie Merriweather Post). 
Another
jaunt to Lake Placid in 2008: We won a raffle
for a stay at the classic and beautiful Mirror Lake Inn. 
Drives outside the village brought views along a river w/ fall colors and clearing views of Whiteface. 
We tour the interesting Wild Center museum at
Tupper Lake. A very relaxing weekend.
Lake George also offers nice fall views.
Other jaunts to our north have included Ausable Chasm & Fort Ticonderoga.
We've spent some time up to Lake George, including summer 1988 when we rented a cottage and were joined by our friends the Reynolds family and Matt's friend John. 
plus a nice dock. 
Nearby attractions included Fort William Henry, 
Natural Stone Bridge, 
and a water park.
And we've been to "Storytown" (now "great Escape") in Glens Falls, just south of Lake George.
Another destination is Blue Mountain Lake, with an interesting Adirondack Museum. 
Another stay at a classic North Country hotel: the Adirondack Hotel on Long Lake.
Boats and seaplanes across from the hotel, another pretty pond nearby, lovely rustic interior and exterior views. 
We enjoy a dinner cruise and visit to a butterfly conservatory.
Yet another stay in Lake Placid comes when Marjorie's sister Mary & hubbie Jeff joined her cousin Jim & wife Susan for a visit with us. We're able to stay in neighbors Carol & Chip's condo on a pretty lake just outside the village. 
A short walk into the village, including the church where we enjoyed the coffee shop during the Olympics. 
We drive around to see the Olympic venues, still in use (even in the summer). 
Impressive views from atop the ski jumps 
plus more views of Lake Placid and Blue Mtn Lake.
During the visit we also go to the Saratoga track, the only time we've actually been there for races! 
I took then little Matt up to Frontiertown for a fun day 
two young-uns studying each other
Thousand Islands (1984):
My
childhood memories include fishing with my father in the 1000 Islands when the
water was so clear you could watch the fish come for the worms! So it’s nice to finally get back there. Uncle Bill joins us for a stay in a housekeeping
cottage near Alexandria Bay. 
We take a boat tour through the many islands and enjoy other views along the river.
A day trip up to Ottawa, changing of the
guard and Rideau Canal. 
Uncle Bill & I go fishing w/ a guide, joined by
another couple. Our luck is much better
than an earlier trip in the Adirondacks, lots of walleyes & pike; Marjorie
& Matt to a water park. 
Other jaunts
to see Upper Canada Village (similar to Sturbridge Village) 
and to Kingston and Old Fort Henry.Cooperstown:
We've done a number of day trips to Cooperstown in various seasons. We had a very memorable outing in the Fall with friends Ellen and Nancy, jointly celebrating turning 50. 
Another time with friend Sarah for a winter carnival 
that included some cross-country skiing.
A summer visit with friend Peter when his son Quinn was in a baseball tournament 
playing at Doubleday Field 
where I had played in a Red Cross tournament.
We also visited a local brewery 
and the Baseball Hall of Fame,
with lunch at a pretty spot.
Other visits have included the Farmers Museum 
and 2 art shows, with views along Main St. 
Hudson River
cruise (2007):
Marjorie
spotted a trip she wanted to take down the Hudson to commemorate “Fulton’s
Folly” steamboat. She didn’t go on my choir Italy tour and had to deal w/
basement flooding while I was gone, so maybe this is my “guilt trip.” We’re surprised and happy to find Fr Shaw,
who we know from our church, and his brother along for the ride. Pretty AM w/ fog rising along the Albany riverfront as we
depart. 
A comfortable small boat with space for relaxation and snacks. 
A lovely and relaxing way to see
the river: interesting shoreline, houses, boats, lighthouses, bridges. 
A stop to tour Clermont and Fulton’s
home before an overnight in Poughkeepsie. 
Then into NYC under the Tappan Zee and George
Washington Bridges; quite a different view than we’re used to. 
Long Island:
We haven't spent a lot of time on Long Island, but a couple of jaunts when Matt was working on his doctorate at Stony Brook. Some enjoyable ferry rides,
pretty harbors and beach areas. 
Old Westbury Gardens. 
And pretty Fall views. 
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